EXTRA special delivery Tayla Young was determined to make a Christmas Day debut.

Little Tayla was born a week premature at the family home on Christmas Day at 8.45pm, weighing 6lb 3oz.

Mum Jade, 18, was forced to deliver Tayla herself as boyfriend Robert, 19, was taking their daughter Maddison Young, 16-months, to a relative’s house as they prepared to go to hospital.

The mum had been suffering stomach pains and within two minutes of her waters breaking Tayla was born.

From their home in The Chevron, Byker, Newcastle, Jade said: “When I was at my mam’s house on Christmas Day I started getting pains in my stomach so I went back to my house and Robert took Maddison to his mam’s as we were going to go to hospital.

“When he left my waters broke and Tayla was born within minutes - I just pushed hard and she came out.

“I was scared but I knew what I had to do as I’d remembered what happened when I delivered Maddison in hospital.

“I put some towels on the floor and tried to stay calm. If it had been my first child I think I would have been terrified, but everything went OK.

“When Robert came back he was very shocked to see Tayla, but we were both really pleased she’d arrived.

“It is the perfect present - although I don’t think Tayla will like having her birthday on Christmas Day.”

Paramedics were called to the house as Jade and her new baby were still attached by the umbilical cord. They were taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary where they were checked over and released at 12.30am yesterday.

Dad Robert said: “I couldn’t believe it when I came home and saw Jade sitting on the settee with Tayla on her knee. She wasn’t due until New Year’s Day.

“As soon as I saw my baby daughter I started crying.

“Jade was really brave and I’m just glad they’re both fine.

“Although Jade had a pain in her stomach we didn’t think she was in labour as the pain was continuous, not like it is with contractions.

“It has been the best Christmas present and we couldn’t have asked for any better way to start the New Year.”

Eighteen extra special presents were delivered on Christmas Day as new babies made welcome arrivals throughout the region.

Hospital staff at Newcastle’s RVI were kept busy with 10 deliveries - the first at 12.20am.

In Sunderland a total of four new arrivals made a Christmas Day debut, while at Ashington’s Wansbeck General there was just the one.

But at the University Hospital of North Durham there were three bonny babies born.

Among those to arrive was Faye Holly Simpson, who was 12 days late.

Proud mum Jo, 31, said: “We weren’t really aiming for a Christmas Day baby, but that’s when she decided to come along.